634 



THE CENTURY BOOK OF FACTS. 



early part of the sixteenth century. Previous 

 to this time, in fact as early as 1354, Stras- 

 burg had an astronomical clock. It was in 

 three parts. The lower part had a universal 

 calendar, the central part an astrolabe, and in 

 the upper division were figures of the three 

 Magi and the Virgin. At every hour the 

 Magi came forward and bowed to the Virgin ; 

 at the same time a chime was played, and a 

 mechanical cock crew. This Clock of the 

 Magi, as it was called, stopped in the early 

 part of the sixteenth century, and was replaced 

 by the clock made by Habrecht, which ran un- 

 til 1789, when it stopped, and all attempts to 

 put its works in order failed. In 1838 a clock- 

 maker named Schwilgue undertook to remodel 

 the internal machinery, and finished it in 1842. 

 The case of the clock made by Habrecht was 

 retained. A perpetual calendar, forming a 

 ring around a dial thirty feet in circumference, 

 occupies the central part of the lower division 

 of the clock. At midnight, December 31st, 

 the clock regulates itself (for the new year) 

 for 565 or 366 days, as the case may be even 

 tho omission of the bissextile day every 400 

 years being provided for. The disk within the 

 calendar shows the eclipses of the sun and 

 moon, calculated for all time to come. On 

 one side Apollo points with an arrow to the 

 date and name of the saint for the day. On 

 the opposite side stands Diana, the goddess of 

 night. Above the calendar is a niche in which, 

 on each day, the mythological deity of the day 

 appears Apollo on S'unday, Diana on Monday, 

 Mars on Tuesday, Mercury on Wednesday, 

 Jupiter on Thursday, Venus on Friday, and 

 Saturn on Saturday. Above this is a dial 

 marking the mean time in hours and quarters, 

 with two genii, one on each side, the one 

 striking the first stroke of every quarter, the 

 other turning over the hourglass at the last stroke 

 of the last quarter. Then follows an orrery, 

 showing the revolution of the seven visible plan- 

 ets around the sun, and, above, a globe giving the 

 phases of the moon. 'Still above this, in a niche, 

 four figures revolve around the skeleton image of 

 Death, in the center. Childhood strikes the 

 first quarter, Youth the second, Manhood the 

 third, and old Age the last Death strikes 

 the hour. In a higher niche stands the image 

 of our Saviour. At twelve o'clock the Twelve 

 Apostles pass before Him in line, and He raises 

 His hands to bless them. St. Peter closes the 

 procession, and, as he passes, the mechanical 

 cock on top of the case flaps his wings and crows 

 three times. The left turret of this wonderful 

 clock contains the weights and machinery, and 

 has in its lower part the portrait of Schwilgue, 

 above this the figure of Copernicus, and yet 

 above, the muse Urania. At the foot of the 



case is a celestial globe, calculated for observa- 

 tion at the latitude of Strasburg. The clock 

 is wound up every eight days. The mythical 

 story of the city fathers of Strasburg putting out 

 the eyes of the clockmaker to prevent his build- 

 ing a similar clock refers to Isaac Habrecht. 



Age. A man's working life is divided into 

 four decades : 20 to 30, bronze ; 30 to 40, silver ; 

 40 to 50, gold ; 50 to 60, iron. Intellect and 

 judgment "are strongest between 40 and 50. 

 The percentages of population to age in various 

 countries are shown thus : 



The Americans are the youngest, the French the 

 oldest. 



Garter, Order of The, was founded in 

 1344, some writers say 1350, by Edward III. 

 The original number of knights was twenty- 

 five, his majesty himself making the twenty- 

 sixth. It was founded in honor of the Holy 

 Trinity, the Virgin Mary, St. Edward the 

 Confessor, and St. George. The last, who 

 had become the tutelary saint of England, was 

 considered its special patron, and for this rea- 

 son it has alway borne the title of ' ' The Order 

 of St. George," as well as that of " The Gar- 

 ter." The emblem of the order is a dark blue 

 ribbon, edged with gold, bearing the motto, 

 Honisoit quimal ypense, in golden letters, with 

 a buckle and pendant of gold richly chased. 

 It is worn on the left, leg below the knee. 

 Regarding the adoption of this emblem and 

 motto, the story is that the Countess of Salis- 

 bury let fall her garter when dancing with the 

 king, and that he picked it up and tied it round 

 his own leg, but that, observing the jealous 

 glances of the queen, he restored it to its fair 

 owner, with the exclamation, Honi soil qui mal 

 y pense. The Order of the Garter, though not 

 the most ancient, is one of the most famous 

 military orders of Europe. It is said to have 

 been devised for -the purpose of attracting to 

 the king's party such soldiers of fortune as 

 might be likely to aid in asserting the claim 

 which he was then making to the crown of 

 France, and intended as an imitation of King 



